Cultist Hunt (Open) (Lots o' Violence)

After dinner, they took Eren to the dungeon so he could get some rest. After manifesting two titans in one day, he was pretty worn out. The warring MPs and Garrison soldiers hadn't returned, but just to be safe, Levi said that they should take turns guarding the dungeon. Reia and Levi took the first watch while the rest of them went to bed. After having slept for half the day, Reia wasn't tired yet. Apparently, neither was Levi. Then again, even if he was tired, he would never show it.

As they sat outside the dungeon in silence, Reia reflected on Eren's progress. He really was learning to control his titan power. And it seemed like his comrades were starting to put aside their fear and accept him. It made Reia think that maybe they would accept her too, if they knew her secret. She had never told anyone, not even her sister or Levi. Only her mother had known, but now she was dead. All these years, she had kept silent, fearing that her friends might see her as a monster.

When the green smoke cleared,the only living people were those in Ember Squadron.Slips had reclosed the wound,fortunately.Severin was helped up,and he leaned on Charles."Search the bodies for anything useful,"Severing said."We can't stay long,though;more MPs will show up."Severin winced."I'll be back in Shiganshina."Charles and Slips took off with Severin.

A scream broke the silence. Reia and Levi jumped up, blades drawn. Then they realized that the scream had come from the dungeon. Eren must have had a nightmare, a common thing among the Scouts. Reia and Levi relaxed and sheathed their swords. "I'll go check on him," Reia said.

"Tch. You act like his mother," Levi muttered.

Reia descended the long, narrow staircase that led to the dungeon. Truthfully, her concern for Eren was only part of her reason for checking on him. She also had to carry out the mission Erwin had given her and find out everything she could about his titan ability.

"Crap," she thought, stopping at the thought of Erwin. "I forgot to give him my report." Reia sighed and resumed walking. Given the events of the day, the commander would probably forgive her.

Severin turned around. They weren't done here. He landed on the ground, and headed for the front door to the Survey Corps HQ. With the help of Charles, he opened the door, and Ember Squad shouldered their rifles. "Attention!" He yelled out to get their, well, attention. He leaned on the doorframe. "You are all suspect in the assistance of arming and assisting revolutionaries, along with the disappearance of several soldiers. Nobody leaves, nobody comes in, unless they want to be shot. Am I understood?" He stated. "I don't care who you are. You will be shot."

Reia slowly opened the door at the bottom of the staircase. "Eren?" she called softly.

Eren was sitting up straight in his bed, with his hands chained to the sides. He was shaking and soaked in sweat, but he tried to appear calm as Reia entered the room. "Sorry. I'm fine," he said with an unconvincing smile. "Bad dream."

Reia studied Eren for a moment before going to sit on the edge of his bed. "It's alright. We all get nightmares."

Eren only nodded. He was still shaking. Clearly, he wasn't fine.

Unsure of what to do, Reia asked the obvious question, "What happened?"

(The cultist leader is Severin's dad, Bastian Wildner. FYI)

Reia listened as Eren told her his dream, in painful detail. It started off as the day his mother died, but after she was eaten, the dream transformed. Eren was now 15, standing in the middle of the carnage in his Scouting Legion uniform, watching as titans killed his friends one by one. "They devoured everyone, my friends, and there was nothing I could do," Eren said shakily."I couldn't even move. All I could do was watch. First Marco, then Jean, and Sasha and Connie, and Armin, and the Levi squad, and you, and Mikasa," his voice broke as his eyes filled with tears. He turned away so Reia wouldn't see him cry.

As much as Reia wanted to tell him that it was just a dream, that it never happened and that it would never happen, she couldn't. Because that would be a lie. So she did the only thing she could do. She pulled Eren into a tight hug and let him cry on her shoulder.

Severin signaled, and his men entered the building. The Scouting Legion members had varying expressions on their faces. Once they were inside, the doors were shut. "Now," Severin stated. "Time to investigate." He limped along, followed by Charles, Slips, and a few others. The rest moved to guard the exits. "What's down here?" Severin said as he faced the entrance to the dungeon. "You two, stay here. Charles and Slips, with me." Severin opened the door, and started down the stairs.

Reia held Eren until he finally calmed down. "Sorry," he mumbled, pulling away.

"It's alright," Reia assured him. After a moment, she added, "It frightens me too, Eren. It frightens us all." Eren seemed to be exhausted from crying, so Reia suggested that he try to get some sleep. He nodded and laid down. In an instant, he was asleep. Reia left the cellar as quietly as she could and rejoined Levi at the door.

"You were down there for a while," he commented.

"Eren had a nightmare."

Severin limped down the stairs, looking for anything useful. He paused when he heard talking on the other side of the door. Charles aimed his rifle, as did Slips. Slowly, Severin knocked. "Who's on the other side of this door?" He said. After glancing at Charles, who nodded, Severin looked back at the door, and prepared to open it. "Answer,"He stated. "Now."

Before she could say anything more, Reia saw her sister, Kathryn, running down the hallway towards them. She saluted Levi before speaking. "Reia, there are some Garrison soldiers in HQ. They're holding everyone at gunpoint."

"Tch," Reia scoffed. She had thought they were done with this. Apparently not. She turned to Levi. "Well?"

Levi didn't waste any time. "Kathryn, go wake the rest of my squad and tell them to meet us here immediately. Reia," he said, holding out a set of keys. "Take these and get Eren."

The girls nodded in unison and rushed off to complete their tasks. Reia still couldn't believe the audacity of the Garrison Regiment. "What are you doing, Severin?" she thought as she ran down the stairs.

Several minutes later, Severin walked back up, followed by his two men. " It should be about time." He said as he limped back to the main room. Once he walked in, Severin noticed that his men were still in control of the situation. "Alright. Time to search for anything useful, men. We must find whoever is responsible." His thought train was broken as someone suddenly dashed for the exit. Charles shot the man, and he collapsed, his leg bleeding. "What did I JUST say? Slips, tend to him." Severin sighed as Slips headed over to the wounded man to give the man medical care. "That was a warning. Next time, expect to become a pink mist." He told the group.

This time, Reia didn't try to be quiet. Without stopping, she slammed the door open and walked over to Eren. "Get up," she ordered.

Eren looked rather startled, but he did as she said. "What's going on?" he asked.

Reia grabbed his wrists and started unlocking the shackles. "Those yahoos are back. We need to hide you."

"Why? They didn't come after me earlier. It doesn't seem like I'm the one they want," Eren said, rubbing his writs and standing up.

"We can't take any chances, Eren. You're our only hope for reclaiming Wall Maria." With that, she grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs. He was right, though. It didn't seem like Eren was their target. But that begged the question: what was?

Several of Severin's men searched the area for evidence, while the rest Acted as guards. Slips was tending to the injured man, and Charles looked on from above. "Thank you for your cooperation."Severin stated to the group of Scouts."I did not want to get violent." He checked his rifle. The bolt was in good condition. "Anything new?"Severin asked aloud. The men were still searching. Suddenly, one of the guards ran up. "Two unknown figures spotted!" He exclaimed. Grabbing his rifle, Severin zoomed off in the direction, and ended up in front of Reia.

Sebastian sighed and walked out of the Dungeon he tapped one of the Garrison Soldiers on the shoulder and murmured, "Go find Sir Severin that we must find the Cultist leader, yes the one that is his dad, WHY THE HELL DOES IT MATTER GO FIND HIM!" He threw the man out the door and grumbled if they didn't find Severin's father soon the man would gain power quickly, They had one job fucking MP.

Reia led Eren down a corridor to a secret hiding place. Suddenly, a man rounded a corner up ahead and ran towards them. Without thinking, Reia threw Eren behind her and drew her blades. The man stopped short, and she realized it was Severin. Reia didn't believe he was a threat, but she kept her blades up just the same. "Severin," she growled. "Whatever you're doing, take it somewhere else. We have enough to deal with already without you causing trouble."

She nodded to signal Eren to run in the opposite direction. After a moment, she herself turned and hurried after him.

Severin shouldered Flammende Gerechitgkeit. "But what I'm doing is here. And it involves everyone in the Scouting Legion. So I suggest you stop before I gun you down right here." He had a grim expression on his face. "Or, we start killing suspects. Your choice." He looked at the two people. "And everyone here is a suspect." Severin adjusted his stance. One of the members of Ember Squadron landed beside Severin, and said something to him hurriedly. Severin's eyes widened for a moment. He looked at the man. "Now, of all times?! Good god, go get the others. Enact the Hermiha Protocol." Severin told the man as he turned to follow the two. "Unfortunately, the real trouble is on it's way." Severin launched his cables. "I hope you are as ready as you think you are." He stated before zipping off.

Reia had grown tired of this nonsense long ago. The military needed to be fighting titans, not each other. The Garrison and the MPs had no business here, in the Scouts' home. You never saw the Scouting Legion busting into anyone else's HQ, so why did they come waltzing in here like they owned the place? They had no right to be running around in the castle where the Scouts kept a titan shifter, not to mention a whole slew of top secret information.

"Who was that guy?" Eren asked as she ran beside him.

"Not important," she responded. "Take a left up ahead."

They rounded a corner and came to a large set of double doors. Reia checked to make sure no one was around before pushing them open. She told Eren to go in and quietly shut the doors behind them. The room was huge, and almost completely dark. However, Reia didn't need to see it to know where they were. It was the grand ballroom, although it hadn't been used in years. She led Eren to a curtain that hung next to a window and pulled him behind it. Then she pushed on the wall behind the curtain. However, it wasn't really a wall. It was a door which blended so well with the wall around it that it was impossible to find unless you knew where it was. It led to a small room, about the size of a broom closet. This was where Eren and Reia hid while the rest of the Levi squad went to diffuse the situation. Reia wished she could be with them, but objectively, protecting Eren was more important than protecting the castle. She had faith that her comrades could handle things, especially since Levi was with them.

Severin landed with a roll, and met with the rest of Ember Squadron in front of the castle. As they discussed what to do, a familiar voice yelled out from behind him. Severin turned and faced Jeremy (He's returned from the rooftops), who looked the group over. "Large group of Military Police incoming. Roughly sixty men. All armed." Severin thought for a moment. "We'll hide in the trees." Turning back towards Ember Squad, he gave instructions, and several minutes later, the entire squad was gone. Jeremy remained on the ground, watching everyone go. He then turned and started walking to where he had seen Reia and Eren go, albeit quicker than normal.

Reia and Eren sat silently in the secret room. They would wait there until the castle was safe and the rest of the Levi squad came for them. God only knew how long that would be.

Having nothing else to do, she pulled out the patch that Severin gave her and examined it. What did it mean, and why did it seem to make her a target? An involuntary shudder ran down her spine. She thought back to Levi's promise not to let her out of his sight. In the end, sending her to hide with Eren had seemed like the safer option. Better that than have her fighting out there in plain view of these people who might be after her. Reia had been reluctant to hide. She could take those people, she knew she could, and Levi knew it too. But he had insisted.

Eren looked at the patch and opened his mouth to say something, but Reia held up a hand to stop him before he could even utter a sound. They were well hidden, but that would change the moment they started making noise. Eren shut his mouth and quizzically glanced from the patch to Reia, but she just shook her head and put the patch away.

Jeremy opened the double doors and entered, shutting them behind him. He stepped forward a few steps, and stopped. "I hear breathing. Two people." He looked around. "Probability of proximity is high." He walked through the room. "Probably the Scout's asset and a guard. No doubt armed." Jeremy coughed. "Slight echo." Looking around, Jeremy stepped towards the center. "This is quite a large room. "Now who could... Oh, right. The Scout from the rooftops. What was her name..." Jeremy paced back and forth. "She was given a patch... Oh! Reia. That was her name. Judging by her skilles, she is most likely the guard." Jeremy exhaled. "Now as to where..."

Reia and Eren heard a loud bang that could only be the doors to the ballroom closing. Then there was the sound of footsteps echoing through the room, accompanied by someone's mumbling. They stayed absolutely silent. If it were anyone from the Levi squad, they would have come straight to the hiding place and opened the door. Whoever was in the ballroom now had to be an intruder.

It was impossible for anyone who didn't already know where the hiding place was to find it. Still, Reia mentally prepared herself to kill anyone who might open that door. Regardless of their reason for being here, they were a threat to Eren. Reia didn't like the idea of killing a human, but she didn't have a choice. She had to protect Eren.

Suddenly, another voice rang out in the ballroom. "What are you doing here?"

Reia had to stop herself from breathing a sigh of relief. She knew that voice well. Her squad had come.

"Captain Levi asked you a question," Eld growled. "I suggest you answer."

Jeremy looked up at the ceiling. "I hear a draft." Adjusting his collar, Jeremy continued pacing around. "Location unknown. Approximately one hundred and twenty seconds left. Hrm..." Looking up, Jeremy noticed men at the door. "Ninety seconds left. Evacuation suggested." Jeremy looked around. "Probability of casualties is high." Severin crashed through a window. "Jeremy! They're here!" He yelled. "We need to move!" Severin stood up and saw Levi. "I suggest you do, too." Jeremy lept out the window, followed by Severin. "Jeremy, did you locate them?" "Negative, sir." Severin and Jeremy both dashed across the open ground towards the treeline.

Suddenly there was the sound of shattering glass. What was going on out there? Were they fighting? Reia wanted to leave the secret room and help her squad, but she knew she had to stay put. Eren's safety depended on it. Although, by the look on his face, he wanted to be out there just as much as she did.

Reia heard Severin's voice. He was yelling at a person named Jeremy. Then everything was quiet. Reia began to count the seconds in her head. Ten...thirty...sixty... What was going on?

Petra's voice broke the silence. "It doesn't look like they're coming back, sir."

There was a pause. Then footsteps echoed as someone crossed the room. Reia heard the whoosh of the curtain being pulled back. "Reia, I'm opening the door, so don't stab me." Levi ordered.

The door creaked open, and Reia was able to make out the silhouette of her captain in the darkness. Petra, Oluo, Gunther, and Eld had fanned out around the ballroom. Their blades were drawn, but their arms were relaxed now. "What happened?" she asked.

"The Garrison just high-tailed it out of here," Eld informed her. "We're not sure why."

"Hmph. All bark and no bite, if you ask me," Oluo said in his usual poor imitation of Levi's voice.

"No one's asking you," Petra snapped.

"Commander Erwin has assembled the entire regiment and put them on red alert. No one else is getting in." Gunther added.

"But what did that boy mean by 'They're here'? Who are 'they'?" Petra asked.

"I don't know," Levi responded. "But whoever they are, they're going to have to get past the entire regiment to get in here. Come on, we're taking Eren to an interior room."

With Levi in front, the squad formed a protective formation around Eren. Then they left the ballroom and walked up several floors to the wing where all the offices were. Levi led them to an office with no windows and ushered them inside. However, when Reia tried to go in, he held out a hand to stop her. Then he turned to the rest of the squad. "You four stay here with Eren" he instructed, shutting the door behind them. Then he began walking down the hall, motioning for Reia to follow.

"Levi, where are we going?" Reia asked.

"We're going to see Erwin. There's something the three of us need to talk about."